Which to Love
by Ms.Cake
Summary: Christine chooses Erik in those last moments in the Opera cellars. But can Raoul handle her decision?


Which to Love

Chapter 1

"Go!" Erik screeched. "Leave me!"

Christine hesitated for a moment, looking at Raoul, covered in sweat, tears, blood, and water. He had come all this way to save her, to bring her from this monster who had kidnapped her. And yet…when she looked over at Erik, he was sobbing, he looked so upset. It was true; Erik had raised her, given her music, a voice, a chance. Raoul? Since their engagement, he had shown her off as a trophy. A prize he had won, only to be on display, and nothing more.

"No." She said firmly, standing in front of him.

"I will not go…." She declared, her voice began to waver, before breaking down into uncontrollable sobbing, her small figure crumpling into the water, her body wracked with shaking.

Erik stared at her in disbelief. She had said she would not go….but it could not be true. She was an evil witch; she must surely be trying to cause him more pain. He turned around and stormed behind a curtain.

Raoul could not move. The ropes had bound him too tightly, and although the lasso had been let go, he still could not move.

So there they were, Raoul struggling to be free from his binds, Christine sobbing, in a lake, and Erik, quietly crying in his own room. They were all confined, trapped, and felt as though they were left, in their own way. Neither one of them understood the other, and they each longed for companionship and love, but were sure at this point, they would never have it.

After a moment, Christine dragged herself from the water, still sobbing, tears streaming down her puffed face. She moved slowly, almost in a dignified manner, out of the lake and towards where she had seen Erik go. Entering the room, she saw him, sobbing silently.

She took a shaky breath, letting him know of her presence. He looked up at her, glaring through tear-filled eyes. "What do you want?" He asked, trying his hardest to keep his voice steady. "I suppose you want to rip the last remaining bits of me to shreds." He said.

She shook her head, unable to speak.

"No." She said, her voice high-pitched.

"Erik," She said, between sobs. "Erik, I love you. I want….I want to be with you. I cannot live without you…." She announced. Christine tried her best to stand tall, but her emotions were so overpowering that she could not stop crying.

Erik stood, looking at her. "You could not love a face like, this, no one could." He said, trying best to stop the tears from falling.

"It is not your face Erik," She said, looking up at him. "It is you. I do not care for what you look like, it is your heart that I love."

Erik took a moment to think of this. She had just declared that she loved him, she had left Raoul, to come tell him her love. The thing he had wanted most in the world had come to him, and yet it did not seem real.

Christine waited, still crying silent tears. The emotions were too overpowering, her heart was filled with love, sadness, and only moments ago, hatred. She was so confused, and yet, the one thing she could make out, was who she loved. That was the only thing to hold onto, and she held on hard and fast.

"You said you love me, is this true?" He asked.

She could do nothing more but nod weakly.

"Christine." He said, his face contorting into sobs again.

That one word, her own name, had said it all.

"Erik." She whispered, walking back towards him.

He took her in his embrace and they stayed there, rocking slowly together, letting their tears mix and emotions go free.

After what seemed like an eternity, they broke apart and Christine held up a finger.

She made her way to the lake, and started untying Raoul's binds.

"Christine, let us leave here!" Cried Raoul, as soon as she had freed him.

"No Raoul." She sighed.

"I am staying. I am sorry, but I cannot go with you."

"Why?" Raoul exclaimed.

"He is a sex-driven monster! He does not love you, he only has desires of the flesh."

"No Raoul! You do not understand!" She said, looking at him.

"Go away! I have chosen, and I wish never to see you!" She cried, storming away.

Raoul felt as if she had taken out his heart and stomped on it. And she very well could have. He turned away a broken man, and walked out of the cellars.

Christine went back to Erik and they became enraptured in a passionate kiss. They took an occasional breath, and they continued kissing, the passion increasing as the moments flew by. Eventually, they broke apart, exhausted.

"Oh Christine," Erik sighed. "I have waited so long for this moment."

Christine just looked at him and shook her head.

"Erik, I had not known….I was so scared, so afraid, the fear, the tales, the anger….It's been too much…..let us lead a single life and love."

Erik felt horrible for his past actions. He had used fear, anger, and self-pity as his tools, against her. This dawned on him, and he felt his heart wrench."

"Can you ever forgive me?" He asked, is voice low.

"Please Erik, let us put those things behind us. They are in the past now. We have each other, and that is all that matters."

He nodded, wiping the tears from her eyes and his own.

She smiled, for what seemed like the first time in ages.

"We shall be husband and wife. We shall be wed, and live together in peace." She told him, as if speaking to a small child.

Erik's heart nearly burst at the thought of this, and he looked at Christine, her hair a mess, her face puffy from crying, her dress torn all over, and he realized that she was everything to him – and he was everything to her.

They soon heard the faint sound of splashing and realized it was the police.

"Come," He whispered, taking her hand. "We must leave here – for now."

After entering several different passageways, they came upon a vent and crawled outside, into the streets of Paris.

They made their way round to the stables which were fortunately not far from where they had come out. Erik saddled a horse, and helped Christine up before mounting himself. With that they galloped off, leaving everything else behind them for the moment.


End file.
